An Inconvenient Question
by prettyinpinkgal
Summary: Teru tries being a "cruel woman", but the plan backfires. Oneshot


**Prettyinpinkgal: Finally, FINALLY a Dengeki Daisy section has been created! YES! I am completely in love with this manga (and with Kurosaki XD) so of course I had to write a fanfiction for it! I hope you guys enjoy! This does not have "Slave No. 2" in it, although it does take place in somewhat recent chapters (SPOILERS--Teru does not know Kurosaki is DAISY). Also, just so you know, the glass mask reference refers to the manga/anime Garasu no Kamen/Glass Mask. The latest anime adaption for that is streaming on CrunchyRoll and is a FANTASTIC series. If DD is my favorite manga, GM is my favorite anime. Now if only I could get my hands on the manga...**

**P.S. I'm thinking about writing an actual songfic to DD for the song "Time after Time". What do you think?  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Dengeki Daisy" or the song "Time after Time".  
**

**AN INCONVENIENT QUESTION  
**

He flipped open his phone, smiling slightly as he read the text addressed to DAISY.

"Hey, Kurosaki!"

He quickly stuck the cell phone into his pocket. "Oh, _you're _here," he said in an unimpressed tone.

Teru bristled, an annoyed smile on her face. "Yes, I'm so sorry to ruin your day."

"You better be."

He half-expected her to make some sort of "Go bald!" remark, but instead she stiffly walked to the garden and began pulling weeds out vigorously.

They worked silently for a time. Then, when he was certain she was not looking, he reached down to pull out his phone.

"Kurosaki?"

He sighed with impatience, now reaching for a cigarette instead. Still, he could not be too annoyed. He may have been thwarted in his attempt to read a text which always meant the world to him, but he had its sender by his side. How aggravating, though, to not be able to glimpse into the heart she so often kept hidden.

"What?" he asked gruffly, trying not to notice how cute she looked with her ears uncovered by her silky hair.

"What's the best way to reject a guy?"

His cigarette fell from his lips, and he quickly stomped it out before whirling around. _"What?"_

Her face was completely innocent, and he could hear the word "lolicon" echo through his head once more. "You heard me. You're a guy; what's the best way?"

"U-uh, why?" _Relax, she's in love with you anyway--pervert! Lolicon!--so it's nothing to be stressed over. Nothing... Curse you, Teru! _He grabbed another cigarette.

"Because..." Her face turned a bit pink. "I got a love letter."

_"What?!"_ he cried for the third time, feeling like he wanted to kill something--or someone. He settled for squeezing the cigarette, which became gnarled and unappealing.

Teru's face returned to its normal hue, and she glared at him. "Is that so surprising?"

_Calm down, you idiot! _He managed to put on his "glass mask". He laughed, making it sound very realistic. Ever since he met Teru, he had become a very good actor. "Actually, yeah. Who wants to go out with a short, flat-chested girl? Especially one who always makes some stupid spectacle of herself. You hardly ever seem to do anything intelligence, although you're supposedly 'smart' in the academic sense. But I guess there's guys who go for that type, right? Teru? ...Teru?"

She was trembling, her bangs covering her eyes, and he suddenly felt his stomach clench with guilt. "You're not crying, are you?" He reached out his hand, hoping to ease---

Tear drops did indeed drop, but Teru only seemed angry, not hurt. "You---you---" She slapped his hand away. "Go _so _bald that your head looks like it's been waxed and it can be used as a mirror!"

She threw her gloves to the ground, as well as her hat. "I have long paid off my debt! You think I don't know how much a freaking window costs?! But nooo, I kept working because I thought this was actually sort of _fun_! And you know what? Maybe I am all those things, but at least I'm not some heartless pervert that forces innocent high school girls to work out here in the sun doing this _stupid _job and does nothing but insult people! Farewell, Bald Kurosaki, for this will be our last meeting! Ciao! Sayonara! Adios!"

She turned on her heel, then whirled back to face him. "Oh, and by the way, that guy's going to meet me in fifteen minutes, and I'm going to say _yes!_ And just so you know, he's not just 'some guy'; he's the most popular, most intelligent guy in my grade! So...there!"

He watched in stunned silence as she stomped ahead, paused and seemed to turn her head, then ran off. Then he knelt to the ground, considering what the best option to take would be.

He took out his phone, feeling as though a dark cloud was hanging over his head like in those shoujo manga Teru liked to read. Utterly affected by Teru's words, he opened the message to read something hopefully positive.

**Dear DAISY,**

**You won't believe this. I was asked out! By a guy! And a really smart and good-looking guy, too! He was really sweet about it, too. At one time, I might have even considered him my ideal guy. He probably is, too.**

**But I'm not going to go out with him, although I'm sure you'd prefer it. You see, no matter what, I'm still in love with that guy who's completely unsuitable for me. But it's not a painful love, really. Right now, I'm very happy to just be by his side. I told you he was very cruel, but that's not all he is, either. He watches after me in his own way, I think, and he holds me when I can't hold back my tears. He makes every day fun. I honestly don't think I can just give up.**

**So I've decided. I'm going to keep trying to be cruel, too, so that I can see if he reveals his true colors. I'm hoping maybe some part of him likes me, but I'd like to see. Hopefully this will shake him up enough. Wish me luck!**

**Teru.**

He read, then reread, and then read it again. "That girl..."

Shoving the phone into his pocket, he began his search throughout the school, eyes peeled for that girl he had been ordered to take care of.

At first, it was a cruel but just punishment, and in a way, his retribution. He felt as though he could make up, just a little bit, for what he had done by emailing her, sending her encouragement and support, and in turn increasing his guilt. But in time, he came to like her for her strength, her perseverance.

When was it that he had fallen for her? He didn't think it was back when she was just an unusual penpal. He had gotten a job at the high school so he could watch after her more effectively, knowing full well that she didn't ask for help nearly enough, and that was another cruelty he had to bear--knowing that he had taken the treasured older brother of this brave child who wouldn't (or couldn't) even reveal her heart to a stranger recommended by her brother.

But what a shock it was the first time he saw her in real life, not in just a photo. She was surrounded by a group of friends, one who looked like a thug and another who looked like a bookworm. He labeled them the misfit group; the ones who didn't match but somehow found a place with each other. But what really struck him was her smile. He had built her up in his mind as a courageous kid who would fake a smile and pretend to be alright. Yet there she was, truly smiling, truly happy, truly laughing.

And she was so _weird. _She put her index and middle fingers as well as her thumb to her forehead, looking quite elegant for a moment, then suddenly yelling some nonsense, which some of the misfits copied with just as much enthusiasm.

And she was older than he had expected. He had kept her a middle school student in his mind, but here she was, sixteen and...rather cute. And not in the way a kid is cute, either. She was..._attractive_. And, in some strange way, very mature for her age, which was, in fact, the legal age for marriage.

The second time he managed to see her was right after he received a message from her, saying how much _fun _she was having, and how she's _just fine_. He had frowned unhappily, glancing down as he heard yelling.

Teru was being bullied. He knew she couldn't have been so carefree! Any minute she was going to cry, and he'd send a conveniently-well-timed email asking her to tell the truth, and she would, and he would finally start truly paying his dues.

But instead, she just sprayed the bullies with a garden hose.

_Well, _he thought with no small amount of surprise, _that works._

But that did not help his cause.

It helped a bit that he just so happened to find a baseball stuck on the roof and got to help out. Then, by acting completely unlike DAISY, he was able to find another way of helping her.

He was pretty sure it was sometime near then that he began to fall in love with her.

So now he found himself frantically searching the halls, not even able to consider a week without her peculiar ways which complimented his own, her smile, her screams, her hilarious remarks...

"Where was he going to talk to her?!" he huffed angrily, scanning anxiously for that short, flat-chested, adorable, amusing, caring, sweet person.

_**Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick,  
**_

_**And think of you  
**_

_**Caught up in circles confusion  
**_

_**Is nothing new  
**_

_**Flashback warm nights  
**_

_**Almost left behind  
**_

_**Suitcases of memories,  
**_

_**Time after**_

_**Sometimes you picture me  
**_

_**I'm walking too far ahead  
**_

_**You're calling to me, I cant hear  
**_

_**What you've said  
**_

_**Then you saygo slow  
**_

_**I fall behind  
**_

_**The second hand unwinds**_

_**If you're lost you can look and you will find me  
**_

_**Time after time  
**_

_**If you fall I will catch you Ill be waiting  
**_

_**Time after time**_

_**If you're lost you can look and you will find me  
**_

_**Time after time  
**_

_**If you fall I will catch you Ill be waiting  
**_

_**Time after time**_

_**After my picture fades and darkness has  
**_

_**Turned to gray  
**_

_**Watching through windows you're wondering  
**_

_**If I'm ok  
**_

_**Secrets stolen from deep inside  
**_

_**The drum beats out of time**_

_**If you're lost you can look and you will find me  
**_

_**Time after time  
**_

_**If you fall I will catch you Ill be waiting  
**_

_**Time after time**_

_**You said go slow  
**_

_**I fall behind  
**_

_**The second hand unwinds**_

_**If you're lost you can look and you will find me**_

_**Time after time  
**_

_**If you fall I will catch you Ill be waiting  
**_

_**Time after time**_

_**If you're lost you can look and you will find me  
**_

_**Time after time**_

_**If you fall I will catch you Ill be waiting  
**_

_**Time after time**_

_**Time after time  
**_

_**Time after time  
**_

_**Time after time...**_

He skidded to a halt outside the door of a classroom, hearing voices.

_Too late! _He couldn't just burst in there; that brat might spread some troubling rumors (although, in hindsight, he had already put himself in that position by appearing as a dangerous janitor in Teru's class, demanding she become a slave).

He whispered a curse, then whipped out his cell phone, hastily typing.

Not long after he sent it, just as that _boy _was bashfully asking if she would consider going out with him, she begged him to excuse her as her phone beeped. He opened the door slightly, anxious to see her reaction. He recalled what he had sent:

**Teru,**

**I don't have a right to say whether you are making a wise choice, or how you should interpret this cruel person's response, but I will tell you to only do what you feel you should. If you are willing to give that classmate of yours a shot, then that's your call. Just know that, no matter what, I'll always be by your side.**

**DAISY.**

She was trembling again, but this time without anger and just pure hurt. He felt his heart ache.

"Kurebayashi-san?"

She wiped her eyes and turned to face the guy (who, he had to admit, was probably a girl's dream boyfriend). "I-I'm sorry. It's just, I figured something out. Thank you so much for being so honest and kind, but I'm afraid I'm already...um...what's the best way to put it...?"

"Taken?" the boy supplied, obviously downcast.

"Eheh, not quite. I do love someone though." Her face looked like an angel's, and he wondered if he'd ever be free enough to tell her that. "So I'm very sorry, but I cannot return your feelings." She bowed.

He had to admit, the guy was a good sport. However, he would have almost preferred it if he started getting angry, because then he would have had a perfect opportunity to beat him until the boy at least lost consciousness. As it was, though, he was glad to get out of the way and pretend to be just walking down the hallway and passing the boy.

Kurosaki watched through the window as the boy walked out of the school and into the empty street. Once he was out of sight, he walked into the classroom, which startled Teru.

"Ku-Kurosaki," she stuttered.

He eyed her. "I suck at gardening."

"Eh?"

"And I hate working."

Her eyes grew wide.

"So I'm going to buy you some taiyaki, and we'll forget all about this, got it?"

The smile on her lips could not be fully suppressed, as she realized this was the closest to an apology she was going to get. "We're doing an hour of karaoke, and you've got yourself a deal."

"Fine, you brat. Let's go."

She grinned fully then, and he could not help but smile back gently.


End file.
